Reenforcing leg and clamp for angle-iron derricks



May 27, 1930. J. P. FOUKES REENFORGING LEG AND CLAMP FOR ANGLE IRON DERRICKS Filed Sepf. 27, 1926 INVENTOR WITNESSES Mala WMQ MX Patented May 27, 193% Egg illillT mater JOSEPH FOUKES, GF PITTSBURGH, IEENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LEE 0. LIOORE 8a COMEANY, IITCQRPORATED, OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA REENFDRCING LEG AND CLAMP FOB ANGLE-IRON DER-HICKS Application file d September 27, 1926. Serial No. 137,862.

This invention relates to all-metal derricks or towers for oil well drilling rigs, and the like. More particularly it relates to such derricks having permanent legs or corner columns or angle bar sections adapted to be combined with temporary reentorcing legs composed of angle bar sections for making the derrick strong for drilling purposes, the temporary legs being removed after. drilling is completed, leaving a light permanent der rick for pumping purposes. More particularly still the invention relates to the means for attaching temporary legs to the permanent legs of such towers or derricks.

An object of the invention is to provide positive means for attaching a temporary angle bar derrick leg to a permanent angle bar derick leg in such manner that the two will be held rigidly together at points suiliciently close to make them in efiective strength a single leg. Another object is to provide such means in a form that may be readily and easily attached and detached without special tools and without weakening the permanent structure, of a very simple form, with a minimum number of movable elements such as bolts, economical to manufacture, easy to ban die, and of minimum weight.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a partial side elevation showing the permanent and reentorcing derrick legs in associated position, with the usual girts and braces attached to the permanent leg; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II'TI of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the'line IITIII of Fig. 1.

' All metal derricks for oil wells and the like,

comprising corner leg columns composed. of angle sections abutting end to end and attached together and to girts and braces by suitable means are already well known. In Fig. 1 a part of a standard form of such a derrick structure is illustrated, the permanent leg sections being marked A, and a temporary reentorcing leg associated therewith by the clamps constituting this invention being marked B.

The permanent legs are made up of the section A, angle bars the two legs or sides of which are respectively marked 1 and 2. The

temporary or reentorcing derrick legs or columns are made up of section B, preferably of twice the length oi section A, the two legs or sides of the angle sections B being marked respectively 3 and 4.

The permanent legs are made up of the sections A attached together by splice bars 5 positioned on each side of the adjoining legs of the sections atthe point where they are abutted together, with bolts extending through the splice bars and the legs of the angle iron sections. Diagonal braces 6 and horizontal girts 7 are attached in a manner well known in this art, and not peculiar to this invention. The structure of such derricks generally being well known.

The removable reenforcing le 's made up of angle sections B are positioned outside the permanent legs made up of angle section A, with the apices or backs of the two angle columns in juxtaposition, so that the legs of the section A and the legs of the section B extend in opposite direction, but in the same planes. The permanent angle columns have their apices or backs out, with their sides in the planes of the sides of the derrick as a whole. The reentorcing angle columns have their backs inward, with their sides extending out ward also in the planes of the sides of the derrick structure as a whole. This forms in effect a two-piece'colun'in with sides extending in four directions at right angles. The description just given is on the supposition that right angle bars will be used. That is the usual practice. It bars of different angu- V larity are used the general ar *angeinent would be similar, but the sides would not lie at rightangles or in the planes oi of the derrick.

The temporary reentorcing sections B are rigidly attached to the permanent sections A by means of angle bar clamps or brackets C and C. These consist of angle shaped brackets having one straight side, the other side having a terminal outwardly turned hook adapted to extend over and around the edge of one of the legs of the permanent sections A, used in the derrick construction that is to be left up, The other leg 8 of the bracket or clamp is perforated, so that a bolt 11 or the sides v 12 may extend through it and through one of the legs of the reenforcing angle section B, all as illustrated in Fig. 3.

These clamps are shaped so that they will fit accurately within the angle formed by the diverging walls 1 and 3, and 2 and 4, of the cooperating leg sections. The legs 9 and 9 of the clamps that terminate in the hooks are of such length that when the hooks engage the outer edges of the permanentsections, and the bolts 11 are applied to draw the clamp against the other legs, the clamps hold the two angle bars securely together, in manner that will be obvious. j

By using two of the clamps C and C opposite each other, as shown in Fig. 3, the cooperating derrick leg sections A and B are securely locked together apex to apex, and cannot move apart, or move relative to each other. The clamps themselves are held in position by a single bolt, which may be readily insertedand tightened up by a single operator with a wrench. The removal is equally simple, and the advantages of this structure will be apparent to those familiar with the art.

As illustrated the holes for receiving bolts for attaching the clamps are provided in the reenforcing leg sections B. But they may be provided in the angle sections A, and the clamps reversed, if desired. If the angle sections of the two legs are of difierent size the clamps will have one leg longer than the other, in proportion to the width of the respective angle bars, as will be readily understood.

I claim:

1. A clamp for attaching together parallel angle bars placed apex to apex with their legs diverging, comprising an angle bracket member adapted to fit into the space between said diverging legs of the two angle bars and hav ing a terminal hook onone' end adapted to engage the edge of one leg of one angle bar, the other end being adapted to be bolted to the adjacent leg of the other angle bar.

2. In a derrick construction comprising corner columns connected by girts and braces, the combination of two angle bar legs ar ranged apex to apex in parallel relation with adjoining sides diverging to form a column of the derrick, and a clamp adapted to fit into the space between diverging sides of the two legs, said clamp having a hook for engaging the edge of one of said diverging-sides, and means to positively attach the clamp directly to the other of said diverging sides.

3. In a derrick construction comprising a permanent angle bar leg and a removable reenforcing angle bar leg positioned with their apices in juxtaposition and their sides respec-' tively diverging, the combination of an angle bar clamp adapted to fit into the space between adj acentdiverging sides of the two legs having oneside perforated and a hookon the other side adapted to engage the edge of one of the angle legs, and a boltattaching the other side of the clamp to the adjacent side of the other angle leg, whereby to clamp the reenforcint, leg to the permanent leg.

4. A derrick construction comprising up right permanent anglebar legs with attached girts and braces for forming a tower, the apices of said angle bars being turnedoutward so that the sides of the angle lie in the planes of the sides of the tower, separate re- .movablereenforcirig legs for the derrick comtheother leg of the clamp being perforated,

and a bolt attaching it to the adjacent side of the other derrick leg.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

JOSEPH P. FOUKES. 

